True Love?
by Karrde
Summary: The first in a series, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu arrive in Imperial City and someone reveals their true feelings.


Author's Note: This is my first fic on so tell me if you like it and what I can improve. Thanks in advance.

Today Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu are in the Pokemon Center in Breezy City where Ash had just won his latest badge.

"Wow, getting that Tornado Badge was harder than I thought it would be," Ash thoughtfully said.

"Yeah, it's a good thing Pikachu was there to bail you out," Misty said to him.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN!" Ash yelled while angrily glaring at her.

"IT MEANS THAT YOU WIN BECAUSE OF YOUR POKEMON NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE ANY SKILL AS A POKEMON TRAINER!" Misty yelled back, matching his glare.

"I WORK JUST AS HARD AS THEY DO!" Ash countered. Before Misty had a chance to answer Brock cut in.

"Hey guys, chill. The point is that Ash got his badges," he said stepping in between them. Ash and Misty turned their backs to each other without a word. Just then Nurse Joy walked over to them. Brock, as usual, went gaga over her.

"Here you go, Ash. Your pokemon are ready," Joy said cheerfully. She handed the pokeballs back to Ash.

"You're the prettiest Joy yet. Will you go out with me?" Brock said desperately. Misty, Ash, and Pikachu all sighed. Nurse Joy giggled before walking away. Brock hung his head, depressed. Misty looked at him in pity.

"Aw, poor Brock. Rejected again. You'd think he'd get used to it," Misty said.

"Yeah. Well, we're ready to go. Where's the next gym, Brock?" Ash asked. Brock instantly broke out of his depression and looked at the map.

"The next one is in Sunshine Town, if you exclude the Imperial Gym of course," he said matter-o-factly.

"Why skip the Imperial Gym," Ash inquired, puzzled. Misty looked at him with a smirk.

"Well Mr. Pokemon Master, nobody's ever beaten the Imperial Gym leader. I'm definitely sure that a no-talent trainer like you would ever stand a chance," she said antagonistically.

"YOU'LL TAKE THAT BACK WHEN I BEAT THEM! WHERE'S THE IMPERIAL GYM, BROCK!" Ash yelled.

"It's about a mile that way, toward the Imperial Palace," Brock said pointing toward what looked like a mountain through the Pokemon Center's window.

"WELL THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING!" Ash yelled before he raced out of the Pokemon center and off toward the Imperial Palace.

"Hey, wait up Ash!" Brock and Misty said as they ran after Ash. Pikachu, almost forgotten, sighed and raced after his friends.

"WOW, ASH! YOU MUST BE THE FIRST PERSON TO EVER GET LOST RUNNING A MILE TOWARD A BUILDING THAT'S THE SIZE OF A MOUNTAIN!" Misty yelled at Ash.

"Shut up I'll find it," Ash said resentfully. Brock and Pikachu both sighed.

"Oh, brother."

"Pika pika."

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu finally made it to Imperial City, the largest city to date. They were about to walk into the Imperial Gym when Jesse and James stepped out dragging an unconscious Meowth. James looked very angry.

"Prepare for trouble."

"Beaten by a Magikarp!"

"To protect the world from devastation."

"BEATEN BY A MAGIKARP!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"OF ALL THE POKEMON SHE HAS TO BEAT ME WITH IT HAS TO BE A MAGIKARP!"

"Jesse."

"What's going on?

"Team rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Hey Jesse it's the twerps, let's say the motto."

"WE JUST DID JAMES! WE SAID IT WHILE YOU WERE BROODING ABOUT LOSING TO A MAGIKARP AND BEING CLUELESS AS USUAL!" Jesse screamed at him before she punched him in the head making him fall over. Jesse turned back to Ash.

"Give us that Pikachu twerp or we'll have to hurt you," Jesse said menacingly. Before Ash could respond James said from the ground, "How are we going to hurt them all of our Pokemon are out cold?" Jesse glared at him.

"YOU JUST GAVE AWAY MY BLUFF!" she screamed at him before she kicked him in the head.

"Since you guys don't have any pokemon or a plan, do you mind leaving?" Ash asked them. Jesse turned her withering glare to him but said, "It's time Team Rocket blasted off," before she walked off dragging James and an unconscious Meowth with her.

"Those guys never catch a brake, do they?" Misty said shaking her head. Ash shrugged.

"Who cares. Let's get on with my match," he said as they stepped inside. The gym was pitch black except for a spotlight focusing on the door.

"WHO GOES THERE!" a loud, imposing voice said dashing Ash's confidence to pieces.

"I challenge the gym leader to a pokemon battle to earn an Imperial Badge, sir," Ash said weakly.

"THE GYM LEADER HAS LEFT FOR A POKEMON TECHNOLOGY CONVENTION IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE MAIN HALL!" the booming voice said to them. They all quickly ran from the gym.

"If she's at a convention then let's go find her there!" Ash said before rushing off.

"Ash the palace is that way!"

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu ran all the way to the Imperial Palace. They stood outside the immense doors that led to the Grand Hall.

"Think you can find your way to the Imperial Palace from here Ash?" Misty said sarcastically. Ash ignored the comment and they walked inside. In it were thousands of platforms holding new pokemon items filling the Grand Hall.

"Wow," they all said in awe.

"Oh, we'll never find the gym leader in here," Ash said depressed.

"What's that?" Misty cried as she saw a large roped off area with a giant banner that read "Pokedine Systems Inc."

"Let's go check it out!" Brock said and they all rushed over. The tables were covered with new inventions.

"Look at all the TMs!" Ash said staring at one table covered with hundreds of different TMs.

"Hey kid," a salesman said to him, "I see you've got a pikachu. There is a new TM out that is the ultimate attack. It's called Heaven's Wrath. It's an electrical attack that has a strength of three hundred, that's fifty more than the best other move to date. And if the opponent manages to survive this hit they will be paralyzed, allowing you to finish them off. Since I like you, I'll let you have it for only three thousand dollars."

"I'm not interested," Ash said.

"What's this?" Misty said quizzically picking up a large metal ring with elaborate circuitry on the inside. A salesman strode over to her.

"That, little lady, is a Pokemon shock collar. It can control even your most rowdy pokemon. And it only costs three hundred and fifty dollars," the salesman said smoothly.

"Yikes," Misty said at the price and carefully put the collar back down.

"I wonder what this is?" Brock said picking up a palm pilot like device.

"That is a Pokemon Tracker System, the Ultimate in Finding Pokemon. That little device links up with hundreds of satellites in orbit that can find every pokemon in the area and find out its species and level. The system is the most accurate in the world. It relocates each pokemon every six milliseconds. No pokemon trainer worth his pokedex should be without it. And at only nine hundred dollars it's a bargain that no one can resist," the salesman told him.

"No thanks," Brock said putting down the device.

"Hey, look at that!" Misty said spotting a very large platform with a huge crowd around it. They all ran over to it.

"And now for Pokedine Systems Inc., here is Doctor Spike and Imperial Gym leader Alyssa Springer!" the announcer called over the loudspeaker near the stage. A tall woman with long black hair and blue eyes stepped out on stage accompanied by a tall, thin man with spiky blond hair and brown eyes.

"Hey it's the gym leader," Ash said excitedly, "I'm going to challenge her!"

"Don't Ash. You'll embarrass us!" Misty whispered to him, but he was already waving his hands over his head and jumping up and down.

"Hey! Over here!" he called from the back of the crowd. He did that through most of Springer and Spike's presentation, while ignoring Misty's whispered protests. Finally, Springer looked at him.

"Ah, it appears that we have a volunteer!" Springer said in a sweet voice, "Please make room for him to come up front." The crowd parted and Ash raced up onto the stage. But before he could challenge her she said, "This brave young man has decided to let us show you how this invention works by letting us test it on him! Let's give him a big round of applause!"

"What!" Ash said. He tried to protest but was swarmed by technicians that were placing a metal headband on him and hooking him up to the machine. When they parted, Springer continued to talk.

Now we will take a trip into this boy's subconscious and see what he truly wishes for," she said activating the machine. Everyone turned to watch the jumbotron, which was now showing a stadium with a lone figure in the middle. An announcer voice said, "And the best Pokemon trainer of all time is … Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet." The stadium audience erupted with applause, which was only drowned out by the laughter of the real life audience. Ash went beet red.

"Now, now," Springer said in a soothing voice, "I'm sure that this is not an uncommon dream to say the least. Now let's dive deeper into his mind." She fiddled with the machine's controls.

The picture went blank but now there was more audio. It was Ash's voice. It was saying a poem. The audience was silent listening.

Misty, my Misty I am the Earth and you are the Sun 

Every waking moment I dream of your soft caressing touch

I miss your warm and loving glow when you are away

I yearn for the touch of your sweet lips against mine

So they can ignite a passion in this cold and empty soul

Misty, my Misty

Words cannot describe my love for you

Nor can they describe the hollowness I feel when you are not with me

There is a void in me that cannot be filled by anything other than your love

My love for you runs so deep so true

That it is so painful without you 

Misty, my Misty

Then the machine went silent. No one in the entire hall spoke. They all were staring at Ash. They then followed his gaze to Misty.

To Be Continued in True Love's Tragedy


End file.
